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Definition of handicap noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

handicap

noun
 
/ˈhændikæp/
 
/ˈhændikæp/
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  1. [countable, uncountable] (old-fashioned, usually offensive) a permanent physical or mental condition that makes it difficult to do some things that most other people can do The term handicap is now usually considered offensive. You can say that somebody has a disability or is disabled instead.
    • She was born with what was then called a handicap.
    • a physical/mental/visual handicap
    Which Word? disabled / handicappeddisabled / handicapped
    • Disabled is the most generally accepted term to refer to people with a permanent illness or injury that makes it difficult for them to use part of their body completely or easily. Handicapped is old-fashioned and now usually considered offensive.
    • Disabled and disability can also be used to talk about a condition that affects learning or brain development:
      • intellectually disabled
      • learning disabilities.
      In the UK, the term learning difficulty is generally preferred to talk about people who have difficulty with a particular type of learning (for example, people with dyslexia). It is also sometimes used in relation to people who have more general difficulties in learning skills, understanding information, etc., but the term learning disability is generally preferred to refer to these difficulties. However, in the US the term learning disability is preferred for specific difficulties in learning (such as dyslexia), where British English prefers learning difficulty. These terms replaced older terms that are now considered offensive such as ‘mental handicap’.
    see also blind, deaf
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • serious
    • severe
    • mild
    • …
    verb + handicap
    • be born with
    • have
    • suffer
    • …
    preposition
    • despite a/​the handicap
    See full entry
  2. [countable] something that makes it difficult for somebody to do something synonym obstacle
    • Not speaking the language proved to be a bigger handicap than I'd imagined.
    • In a job like this, lack of experience is no real handicap.
    Extra Examples
    • His lack of height can prove a handicap against tall players.
    • Lack of books was a major handicap.
    • This could be a serious handicap to her education.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • big
    • considerable
    • great
    • …
    verb + handicap
    • have
    • suffer
    • prove
    • …
    preposition
    • despite a/​the handicap
    • handicap to
    See full entry
  3. [countable] (sport) a race or competition in which those who have most skill must run further, carry extra weight, etc. in order to give all those taking part an equal chance of winning; the disadvantage that is given to somebody you are competing against in such a race or competition
  4. [countable] (in golf ) the number of strokes (= hits) over par (= the expected number of strokes for a good player) that a player usually needs to complete a course. Handicaps are used to give an advantage to weaker players so that competition is more equal when they play against stronger players.
    • He plays off a handicap of 5.
    Topics Sports: ball and racket sportsc2
    5. Word Originmid 17th cent.: from the phrase hand in cap; originally a pastime in which one person claimed an article belonging to another and offered something in exchange, any difference in value being decided by an umpire. All three deposited forfeit money in a cap; the two opponents showed their agreement or disagreement with the valuation by bringing out their hands either full or empty. If both were the same, the umpire took the forfeit money; if not it went to the person who accepted the valuation. The term handicap race was applied (late 18th cent.) to a horse race in which an umpire decided the weight to be carried by each horse, the owners showing acceptance or dissent in a similar way: hence in the late 19th cent. handicap came to mean the extra weight given to the superior horse.
See handicap in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: handicap

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